Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M1374

Bullets Before Cannonballs

Bullets Before Cannonballs
BusinessHigh supportStrategic Management
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Before committing all resources (cannonballs) to a large-scale attack, fire low-cost bullets (low-cost experiments) to calibrate the target. Only after the bullets hit the target should you concentrate fire with cannonballs.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Verification over prediction. Don't gamble on a big project just because you're the CEO. First run a pilot, get real data (calibration), then go all-in. This is similar to the MVP concept but focuses more on resource allocation strategy.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Before large-scale investment, use low-cost experiments to calibrate the target. Once hit, concentrate resources to scale up. Replace 'prediction' with 'verification' to reduce the huge sunk costs caused by wrong direction. Resources are allocated progressively based on evidence.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

Check to track your progress (stored locally)
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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    baike.baidu.comhttps://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%80%89%E6%8B%A9%E5%8D%93%E8%B6%8AZH · Explicit
    verified

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